John Baer

STAFF COLUMNIST

John Baer has written about politics and government for the Daily News since 1987. Neither subject ever fails to provide him with stories of policies and politicians walking on or skirting by paths to perdition.

JB: Good news, boss, your state lawmakers are cracking down on the state's public problems.

BE: School funding? Joblessness? Health-care costs?

JB: I mean REAL problems. Voter fraud. Gun rights.

BE: Gun rights?

JB: Yep. The legislature just sent a "castle doctrine" bill to the Guv expanding citizen rights to blast away when threatened at home, at work, anywhere you roll.

BE: Lock & load, baby!

JB: Never mind that the spokesman for the statewide DA's association tells the online news service capitolwire.com the bill is "a solution in search of a problem," we're not gonna let people threaten us in this state.

BE: So I can shoot a guy I don't like just for walking up my driveway, tell the cops he made a threat and get away with murder? Cool! Does the Guv sign it?

JB: You betcha. Poppa Grizzly. Grrr.

BE: And voter fraud?

JB: House is still debating it but it'll pass. It requires voter ID photos every time you vote. It's part of a national push in states controlled by the GOP. Democrats say it's a new way to discourage older people and poorer folks without drivers licenses to go through another hoop in order to vote.

BE: But it attacks the problem of voter fraud, yes?

JB: And what a problem! Inkyreport today on the debate notes that of six million Pennsylvanians voting in `08 a total of four were charged with fraud.

BE: Well, not next time, brother. Those four and their ilk are cooked!

JB: Yep. So what if the state starts a new program and pays for ID cards for those who need them? (By one estimate the program could cost $11 million.) We've got money to burn.